“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it […]
“O Holy Night” (“Cantique de Noël”) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau (1808–1877). Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet, had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem. Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight’s […]
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” (originally written in Latin as Adeste Fideles) is a Christmas carol which has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade (1711–1786), John Reading (1645–1692) and King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656), with the earliest manuscript of the hymn bearing his name, located in the library of the […]
Gesù Bambino by Pietro Yon has always had a place in my childhood memories since my church choir sang it every Christmas. Other than that, it didn’t seem to be too well known but this song has been turning up in piano books lately. There are now several versions in the O’Connor Music Studio […]
A few years ago, we went to see Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker… From http://www.nycballet.com/Ballets/N/George-Balanchine-s-The-Nutcracker.aspx During the holiday period, the entire Company is immersed in activities surrounding George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 32 stagehands and two casts of 50 young students each from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as […]
Who? You might say. Johnny Marks (November 10, 1909 – September 3, 1985) was an American songwriter. Although he was Jewish, he specialized in Christmas songs and wrote many holiday standards, including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (a hit for Gene Autry and others) “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (a hit for Brenda Lee) “A Holly Jolly […]
“Good King Wenceslas” is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of Good King Wenceslas braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, […]
“We Three Kings”, also known as “We Three Kings of Orient Are” or “The Quest of the Magi”, is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music. We three kings of Orient are Bearing gifts we traverse afar Field and fountain, moor and […]
The First Nowell (also written The First Noël) is a traditional classical English carol, most likely from the 18th century, although possibly earlier. The word Noel comes from the French word Noël meaning “Christmas”, from the Latin word natalis “birthday”. The melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of one musical […]
I could have turned the Alfred Burt Carols into the next 15 parts of this series but I decided that was a bit too easy on me! I love this story – it’s a wonderful family tradition from the Burt family. Starting in 1922, Alfred Burt’s father created a Christmas card for family members […]
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